3G or 4G?

Spectrum allocation and management is the most contentious issue dogging the Indian telecom. Heated debate over the past two years has failed to resolve the issue and this has considerably delayed the launch of 3G services in India. The question is not "whether 3G can be ushered in without adequate allocation of spectrum", but also "how", "how much" and "to whom"? These were the kind of discussions in 3G India summit in Sept. 2006.

While Indian telecomm regulators and 2G service providers are fighting and debating over the whos and hows of 3G, there are players like Aircel who have launched WiMax services.

In the wireless world, voice providers are trying their best to also provide data services viz: Internet via a cell phone. On the other hand, wireless data technologies like Wifi/WiMax are on their way to provide voice with the VOIP technology with something like skype phones. Now there actually is almost no difference to the end user how he gets voice - through a cellular (GSM or CDMA or 3G) network or a data communications network (Wifi, WiMax...)

So, isn't India a little too late in launching the 3G services? Shouldn't they concentrate on what is beyond 3G. Ya, 4G is beyond 3G. But it is still not well defined as to what is 4G. I think India have a very good chance of actually defining 4G. If India adopts a certain technology, every operator, equipment manufacturer, technology provider will shift their attention to the India adopted technology and that is what would become 4G.